Are you wondering why your Fly Predators haven't hatched yet and want to know how to help them hatch quicker? Jessour Fly Predator Scientist has the answers...

Why Fly Predator Hatch Times Vary

The species that comprise Fly Predators have a life cycle that is very dependent on overall average temperatures. At ideal conditions (around 85°F) it takes a minimum of 2 weeks for the Fly Predator to develop from egg to adult. At much cooler temperatures, they can take 6 weeks or more to hatch.

Generally, we try to send out Fly Predators that have already been incubated for about a week, so that in the warm summer months, they will begin hatching within 5 days of arrival. However, temperatures during travel and temperatures where they are being kept can have large impacts on how quickly Fly Predators hatch. During the first shipment of the season, it’s not unusual for your Fly Predators to take 10 to 14 days after arrival to emerge. It’s much faster than that during the heat of August.

How Do I Help My Fly Predators Hatch Quicker?

If your weather is warm and you want to make sure your Fly Predators hatch as quickly as possible, keep them at a consistently warm temperature once you receive them. Don’t put them in direct sun as this can make them too hot while in the bag. On top of a refrigerator is a cozy place, but write a note so you don’t forget them.

If your weather is cooler than normal, particularly if you have a chance of freezing night time temperatures, you will want to slow down the hatching of your Fly Predators. If they traveled through cool temperatures on their way to you (which often happens in the early spring and late fall), even once kept consistently warm, it may take 2 weeks or more for your Fly Predators to hatch. If kept outside once they arrive, and night time temperatures are still falling down into the 50’s, this could also result in delayed hatching, even if daytime temperatures are getting into the 70’s or higher. You can match the speed of emergence to match your weather, which is also how quickly your pest flies will be emerging.

Bottom line: don’t worry if your Fly Predators don’t hatch right away in the spring and fall. Try to keep them in a consistently warm location, such as on top of a refrigerator or other electrical appliance that generates a little heat (just don’t cook them).

Fall is upon us so Winter won't be far behind. Soon we'll need to batten down the hatches and close up everything to keep our horses as warm and cozy. All closed in for winter coupled with sweaty saddle pads, moist leather, urine and manure and you’re in for some serious “barn odors” that are far from cozy. Bad barn smells are one factor but also consider yours and your horses respiratory health. Fresh, clean air is a key component of that. Here’s 5 tips to help you keep your barn smelling like roses (well maybe not roses per se but at least not stinky winter “barn odor” smells) all winter long!

1. Fresh Air. Check your stable for proper ventilation. Without creating a massive draft, crack windows and stable doors at least for a short portion of each day to allow for fresh air flow through your barn.

2. Sufficient Bedding. Yes, proper bedding is costly but this is not a place to cut corners in the winter months when horses are standing in their stalls more often than not. Whether you bed on straw, shavings, or pellets make sure you have a sufficient amount of bedding to absorb urine in your stalls. Investing in quality stall mats can also mitigate the amount of bedding needed thus saving your expense on bedding in the long run.

3. Clean Up. Pick urine and manure from your stalls daily then spray Bye Bye Odor on the urine spots. The Bye Bye Odor will eliminate the ammonia in the urine. Believe your stall smell just fine? Get down at floor level where your horses noses spend a great deal of time and take a wiff. Ammonia not only smells bad but is detrimental to respiratory health. Bye Bye Odor eliminates the ammonia but likewise it has a light, refreshing, pleasant smell on its own.

4. Water Buckets. Don’t just refill water buckets but make a habit of dumping, rinsing and then refilling at least every other day. This is a year round tip. If you are just constantly refilling buckets with grain and hay remnants floating around it will sour. Encourage your horses to drink more water by keeping a fresh, clean supply readily available for them.

5. Blanket Maintenance. Try using a light fleece sheet under your winter blankets that you can wash easily and that will dry fast for reuse. This will keep the layer closest to your horse fresh plus wick away any sweat that might accumulate if they do get too hot, and cut down your grooming time by always having a clean layer on them. Winter blankets usually only get washed 1 or 2 times a season. Spray urine and manure spots on your outer blanket and straps with Bye Bye Odor to neutralize the smell.

We have a busy fall at Spalding Labs! We'll be all over this great country. If you're nearby, stop in and say hello!

Cowboy Dressage FinalOctober 9 - October 14 at Murieta Equestrian CenterSoft Feel (or Fresh Rein) is the guiding principle of Cowboy Dressage. The Finals competition is held each fall with this years major prize giving called Riding for the Brand. Riding for the Brand was an unwritten code of the Old West but understood by everyone who agreed to live the cowboy life on the open range — that the cowboy should always “ride for the brand.” In the early days of the American West, a brand was a ranch’s trademark. It meant protecting the ranch and its livestock, whatever it took. The brand also represented pride, duty, stewardship, loyalty and dedication. Perhaps a few lines of a cowboy poem say it best: “Riding for the brand means to help neighbors and friends, search for that one last stray, even though you’re tired and it’s the end of the day. It’s just not the cowboy way to quit.” Cowboy Dressage reflects those principles of being moral, just, fair and dedicated.Discover one of the fastest growing riding disciplines, Cowboy Dressage at cowboydressageworld.comEquine AffaireNovember 7 November 10 in W. Springfield, MA at The Big ENorth America’s premiere equine exposition and equestrian gathering… a unique celebration of the horse offering unparalleled educational, entertainment, and shopping opportunities. Enjoy an unparalleled program of hundreds of training clinics, seminars, and demos presented by leading coaches, competitors, trainers, and industry experts on a wide range of disciplines and topics. Hone your basic horsemanship skills at this diverse pavilion featuring a full schedule of demonstrations, video presentations, and interactive educational displays and activities for new riders and horse owners of all ages. Meet dozens of fascinating horse breeds from around the world "up close and personal" through association-sponsored exhibits and demos. Discover training, breeding, boarding, and lesson facilities; stallions at stud; and horses for sale to help you find the right horse, trainer, teacher, and equestrian service. Browse the largest horse-related trade show in the east with acres of leading retailers and manufacturers offering an impressive selection of equine products and services. Catch all the action of (or ride in) this timed and judged ultimate test of horsemanship in which pre-selected horse and rider teams will compete for $5,500. Find your next horse at Equine Affaire's Adoption Affaire! Meet dozens of adoptable horses of various breeds, ages, and disciplines from several different rescue organizations all in one place! Don’t miss your chance for a fascinating hands-on gentle giants experience!Learn more about Equine Affaire’s celebrity line up at equineaffaire.comHorse ExpoNovember 8 - November 10 in Pomona, CA at the FairplexOne of the fastest growing expos in the United States, California’s Western States Horse Expo in Pomona is a must-attend event for any horse owner. In three short days, you can catch up on the latest training and education, shop the nation’s premier equine vendors and connect with your horse friends. Attending the expo is a low-cost, high quality way to stay engaged in the horse industry, making sure you have the tools, knowledge and products to help make the most of your investment in the horse owning lifestyle year round.Check out the Horse Expo’s schedule at horsexpo.comWe hope to see you at one OR ALL of these terrific events!

Okay! I normally watch only four TV channels, two to get opposing political positions, one for its veterinary and wildlife programs, and one for its once a week reality humor. So it has been a drag for me to watch otherwise wasteful TV in order to collect the data for this article.

Moreover, this is the second time I have reported the unexplainable phenomenon that the pharmaceutical industry, even including its academic research constituents, persist in using the letter “X” in naming new drugs. Why? This applies not only to the product’s proprietary name, but also to many of the generic names.

I am obligated to report about this puzzling, irrational, but obviously effective tendency to increase sales of the respective drugs. Why else would they do it? More importantly, why does it work?

My research project ended today, just prior to me sitting down to write this column. I have no doubt that if I continued to search the channels for drug commercials flaunting the letter “X”, the forthcoming list would be much larger. But, frankly, two weeks of watching the Boob Tube and writing down drug names, many of which are in ads warning of such side effects as internal bleeding, loss of vision or hearing, cardiac arrest, pancreatitis, anaphylaxis, angioedema and even death, are all I can take.

As I accumulated the list below, I wondered if television itself was responsible for some of the cited side effects.

So, without further comment (and why I am the only person with a degree in medicine to have reported this “X” phenomenon, to the best of my knowledge), here is the list of “X” drugs I saw in television commercials in one two week period.

Transmissible Diseases, also known as Contagious Diseases, are those which are commonly spread from one infected individual to another, usually of the same species, but also frequently of another species. This occurs because of direct physical contact, but it also occurs from indirect physical contact. For example, if a person with a cold or flu sneezes near you, that is an example of indirect physical contact. However, if you touch the other person, and they have the virus on their hands or elsewhere on their body, that would be direct physical contact.

Transmissible diseases are also spread from one individual to another by the infected victim contaminating food or water, which is then consumed by the next unfortunate victim.

However, there is a third kind of individual, known as a “vector”, who can transmit diseases caused by micoörganisms (viruses and bacteria).

A common disease-carrying vector are insects. For example, mosquitoes transmit Malaria. A more common example are the diseases carried by flies.

Flies, attracted to the nasal discharge or tears or even saliva of an infected individual can inadvertently transmit disease-causing micoörganisms to other perfectly healthy individuals.

For horse owners this is often true during outbreaks of such common diseases as equine influenza and strangles.

Obviously, the disease in question may be prevented by vaccination. However, there are other preventative measures that are important.

For example, flies, including the common Stable Fly, are inevitably attracted to the nasal discharge of equines suffering from such communicable diseases. So further disease prevention can require the elimination, or, at least, sever reduction in such insects.

Controlling flies and other insect pests in the stable can involve many techniques. Examples include pesticides, keeping the premises free of manure and other wastes that attract flies, insect repellant sprays, fly traps and screens, the use of Fly Predators to destroy the fly larvae before they hatch, and even the use of Fly Traps to trap the insects that land on such adhesive products.

Reducing the population of such insect pests can help prevent horses from acquiring serious diseases, reduce discomfort, and making the stable a more desirable environment for both the animals, and the people who associate with them.